Citizens Not Subjects

"I didn't stand with the banks and the financial industries in this fight.  Neither did any of the members of Congress who are here today. We stood with you."

 - President Obama (speaking about student loan takeover)

Obama signed the health care amendment yesterday...which is where today's quote is from. It's ironic to me how this administration continues to demonize businesses. A recovering economy needs healthy, profitable businesses, no? And how can he stand "with us" if his disapproval rating is at 50%. Again with the fuzzy math.

But back to my original thought...

Included in the health care amendment was a complete takeover of the federal student loan program, eliminating banks and other federal institutions from the equation.

This is just one more takeover to chalk up to Obama's "transformation" plan. Slowly but surely this president is creating a welfare state with middle class families becoming dependent on the government. In the words of Marcee Tidwell (Jerry Maguire), "I'm freaking out here, Jerry!"

First - Government bailout and takeover of the car industry. President Obama and his car czar now have a say in how GM/Chrysler run their business. You think they will continue to allow GM to produce gas-guzzlers??   Think again.  

Interesting fact...our Tahoe (made by GM) which we purchased 18 months ago is now worth MORE than we paid due to simple supply and demand economics. I wonder why GM is not producing more of these vehicles?  I love my Tahoe and the sound of my meaty engine. It makes me happy. Obama, however, believes I'm melting an iceberg each time I put the pedal to the metal. 

Second - Federalizing health care, which will eventually become nationalized health care if Obama has his way. This essentially determines how the citizens of this nation will live their lives.

And, Third, this government takeover of student loans. Any institution utilizing these loans will become subject to the government. President Obama will have ideological enforcement at colleges and universities across the nation. Thinking your college children will be receiving a liberal education is an understatement...think more extreme...

What's next on the takeover list?  I hate to even entertain ideas...

Chris Baker, in for Glenn Beck this morning, mentioned two things I love:

(1) Americans were not meant to live their lives on a leash.
(2) I want to be a citizen rather than a subject.

Obama's takeover ignores both ideals.

Source:

Obama Signing Amendment - Washingon Post
Glenn Beck Radio

Grow Up Already...

From Mark Steyn today...discussing the new Obamacare provision allowing children up to and including the age of 26 to remain on their parent's insurance.  I referenced the craziness of this previously, but Steyn explained today many countries with a nationalized health care system have provisions like this, which may have directly or indirectly caused a delayed "growing up" of sorts. The existence is such that these late 20's and 30-somethings still living at home have a name...in Japan, Germany, etc.  But my favorite?

In the UK it's "KIPPERS"

Kids In Parents Pockets Eroding Retirement Savings

By the time I was 26 I had been married a few years...(I won't tell you how long so you won't know how young I really was).  

By 26, I'd had my first baby, a house, a college degree, a career, a husband...and, (gasp!) my own health coverage.

(accomplishments not listed in any particular order)

What had you accomplished by the age of 26? 

Should we consider raising the legal age to 26?  What about voting age, drinking age, age of consent etc.

Our government continues to underestimate the capabilities of our youth. Growing up is scary. I can remember being apprehensive about such responsibilities when I was headed to college, but getting started, making phone calls, and hashing out decisions is half the battle.  We must force our kids to be a little uncomfortable...the uneasiness is how they learn.  

Noteworthy Palin - Reagan Comparison

Check out these snippets from a WSJ Op-ed by Norman Podhoretz:

"Nothing annoys certain of my fellow conservative intellectuals more than when I remind them, as on occasion I mischievously do, that the derogatory things they say about Sarah Palin are uncannily similar to what many of their forebears once said about Ronald Reagan."

What I am trying to say is not that Sarah Palin would necessarily make a great president but that the criteria by which she is being judged by her conservative critics—never mind the deranged hatred she inspires on the left—tell us next to nothing about the kind of president she would make.

What she does know—and in this respect, she does resemble Reagan—is that the United States has been a force for good in the world, which is more than Barack Obama, whose IQ is no doubt higher than hers, has yet to learn.

I think that this is what, conversely, also accounts for the tremendous enthusiasm she has aroused among ordinary conservatives. They rightly see her as one of them, only better able and better positioned to stand up against the contempt and condescension of the liberal elites that were so perfectly exemplified by Mr. Obama's notorious remark in 2008 about people like them: "And it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

I would rather be ruled by the Tea Party than by the Democratic Party, and I would rather have Sarah Palin sitting in the Oval Office than Barack Obama.

The entire article is worth reading.  Check it here.

Understanding Unemployment

"To increase job creation, Congress must treat the disease, not manage the symptoms.  Government hiring will not spur private investment -- it will crowd it out.  Congress should instead promote private-sector investment and entrepreneurship -- which promote wealth creation."

 - James Sherk, The Heritage Foundation

Do you remember the State of the Union address?  Do you remember Obama promising to focus his priorities on job creation? Well, here we are two months later and it seems "jobs" is just a four-letter word he's required to say every once in a while, but in actuality, has taken very little focus at all.

The Heritage Foundation has a great article today discussing the basic causes of our high unemployment. Go with me here...this is important. Heritage is comparing data from the downturn in 2001 to our current recession and the results are very interesting. 

Before you read below, remember unemployment is a result of two different things:

(1) Layoffs (businesses letting people go...this is mostly what the media focuses on)

(2) Decreased hiring (businesses not adding to their payroll)

Here are quotes directly from Heritage:

Job losses were worse [in 2001 recession] than now. Net employment has fallen more during the current recession because employers have created 7.3 million fewer new jobs than during the 2001 recession.

Decreased hiring is the most important factor driving unemployment up.

Lay offs have now returned to their pre-recessionary levels. Hiring has not.

The main reason why unemployment rises during economic downturns is that job creation falls while the labor force continues to grow, making new jobs harder to find. Those without work remain unemployed longer, driving up the unemployment rate. 

Low hiring is primarily a symptom of America’s economic weakness, not its cause. Businesses did not suddenly decide to stop hiring. Rather, economic and political conditions changed in ways that discourage investment and entrepreneurship.

The large expansion of government is also contributing to the problem. The resources the government spends do not materialize out of thin air— they come from the economy. When the government increases spending, it crowds out the resources that business owners could have invested in their enterprises. Private investment falls sharply when government spending rises.

Many items on the congressional agenda—the gargantuan health care legislation...cap-and-trade regulations of CO2 emissions, and abolishing private ballots for union organizing—would significantly raise taxes and business costs. In addition, enormous increases in federal spending raise the prospects of yet higher taxes and rapidly rising inflation.

These combined factors have particularly affected small businesses...[who] have less room to absorb the cost of additional regulations or taxes. Unsurprisingly, then, small business hiring has dropped much more sharply than in the past. Small businesses now account for 35.8 percent of job losses in this downturn—triple the 2001 amount.

Heritage has a couple great charts within the article.  I've cut and pasted this one because it shows MORE losses in 2001, but also MORE gains compared with today, thus a shorter and less devastating downturn.  The political climate in '01 was such that the private sector was still adding jobs! 

Heritage outlines a slew of options and suggestions to promote job creation, so check it out. But just remember...the government cannot SPEND it's way out of a recession. The private sector needs to start investing, spending and hiring, otherwise 10% unemployment is going to become the norm around here.  

Source:

The Cause of Unemployment: Still Due to Dwindling Job Creation  

Control Freaks

"The harsh fact of the matter is when you're going to pass legislation that will cover 300 [million] American people in different ways it takes a long time to do the necessary administrative steps that have to be taken to put the legislation together to control the people."

 - Rep. John Dingell (Michigan)

Anybody who truly believes the goal of Obamacare is to reach out and save the 30 million uninsured Americans, is sorely mistaken. If the government wanted to cover them, why the massive bill with limitations extending to every America citizen?  Why not just give these 30 million people some options and leave the rest of us alone?

I'll tell you why...

It's about control.  It's about preventing the citizens of this nation to make their own decisions.  It's about making a larger government-dependent class. The lower class is already supported through various government handouts, but that's not good enough. Obama is targeting the middle class and he wants us incapable of standing on our own two feet waiting with open arms for our government handout, after which we will bow before him with thanks and gratitude and pledge ourselves to his agenda.

Don't forget what's really at stake.

Source:
As quoted by my friend El Rushbo

Channeling Bing Crosby

"It's just going to be like Christmas, I mean it's going to be great. No worries, you know, the bills, we can go ahead and pay our copay and be all right."

 - DeCarlo Flythe

Mr. Flythe is obviously disillusioned about the provisions of this bill, but do you think Obama will correct him? 

In actuality, premiums are going to go up. Way up. And taxes begin in a few short months. Unfortunately for Mr. Flythe, unless you are on Medicaid a copay just isn't going to cut it from here on out.

I don't know about the rest of you, but my letters to Santa never read like this:

Dear Santa:

How are the reindeer? What about Mrs. Claus? I hope she's still pinching your cheeks in my absence. I'm still perfecting my sugar cookie recipe. I promise they'll be better this year.

I have a few things on my list this year and they are my greatest hopes and dreams, so I hope you can deliver because I have been so GOOD. I swear.
  

(1) Please let a group of government bureaucrats mandate that I purchase health insurance and how much insurance that will be? Please? I'm not responsible enough to make this type of informed decision on my own.

(2) Please let the government decide how much I will have to pay for my coverage. They are always fair and impartial when making decisions about money. They sometimes have trouble with solvency but that's just Bush's fault.

(3) Please allow me to continue to support my boomerang children well beyond their young years before they are really forced into adulthood and big-kid decisions. I mean, at age 26, these babies are not old enough to make health care decisions on their own.

(4) Please ration who will receive care and when.  I know when I'm 90 I might want a better quality of life, but whatever you do, PUH-LEASE don't allow this decision to be made between me and my doctor.  I want men in suits detached from reality and the health care industry knowing absolutely nothing about me making the decisions about how I die.


(5) And even though our country is quite divided on the issue of abortion, please don't allow people to make up their own minds. Just force their tax dollars to support the cause and eventually they'll get the message.

(6) Please bring me a gorgeous pair of Mary Carillo's black riding boots. 

Yours truly all year long,

Reese

Source:
It's Going to be Like Christmas!

Conquering the American People

"But if the Democrats were waging war, 
who were they fighting? 
 If Obama and Pelosi won, who did they defeat?"

 - Joseph Ashby (American Thinker)

Did you see the fanfare today at the bill signing? Was it reminiscent of your high school pep rally? Pelosi was clapping just like a cheerleader yelling "Go, Fight, Win!"

And as you may well know, you can't have a rally without an opponent. The American Thinker identified who that was:

"The real reason socialized medicine has never passed is because the public has rejected it each time it is proposed.  Perhaps Obama, Pelosi and the others have won a war, but if that's true, it is the citizens of this country who they fought against; it is the American people who they have conquered."

Every Democrat who voted for this bill purposefully trampled public opinion. Even if you are an adoring fan of Obamacare you can't ignore the willfull ignorance of the American people. It's inexcusable. It's corruption at its finest...

or is that corruption at its weakest?  

Source:

The American Thinker

Get Your Game Face On

"Fortunately, there are no permanent victories or defeats in Washington."

 - Edwin Feulner, President, The Heritage Foundation

I spent most of today amid my own personal chaos...that's just the life as a stay-at-home mom sometimes.  But periodically as I tried to "check-in" and assess the mood across the country, I surprisingly did not feel defeated. It appears within the corners of this great nation people are ready for a fight. Something never before seen since the colonies declared their independence and our founding fathers set a course for freedom and liberty.  

I love The Heritage Foundation. The President, Ed Feulner, had an inspiring message today.  It brought the fight to the surface. If you are even the slightest bit hesitant about Obamacare, you should get involved. Numerous states are starting on the path to block portions of the new legislation. And while repeal will be difficult, we can assure change by electing officials willing to represent the true voice of their constituents.

And because I can say it no better than Mr. Feulner, I've included some of his direct quotes below.  If this makes you want to stand up and cheer then you are in the majority. Our collective voice is tuned out in favor of power, greed and control in Washington. But we the people have the ultimate say. We can be part of this fight...one that will be worth the effort to save the American dream.

"Large majorities of Americans oppose this legislation because it offends the historic American dedication to the principle of self-government. They understand that this new law will accelerate Washington’s intrusion into our most personal and private decisions."

"Those who supported this bill are our fellow Americans, and we do not question their good will or patriotism. In public policy, however, good intentions alone do not suffice. And let there be no mistake, our philosophical differences with supporters of this bill are profound."

"If there is one good thing about the past year—one in which we have witnessed unprecedented horse-trading, press stunts, midnight votes and political manipulation in both houses of the U.S. Congress—it is that the American people have come away educated as never before about the differences between these two visions for America."

"They understand this health care bill forces individuals and employers to buy insurance policies designed by government bureaucrats. This intrusion is intended to follow us from cradle to grave."

"Instead of empowering families and individuals to make their own choices, Obamacare empowers the bureaucracy to make those decisions for them. It is this unelected bureaucracy, unanswerable to the electorate, that will determine the content of health benefits packages, including medical treatment and procedures, and how much will be paid for those services."

"Americans will not stand for it. The American love for liberty prevailed in our founding, and will prevail once again."

"Fortunately, there are no permanent victories or defeats in Washington. For millions of Americans and for Heritage, Round One of this fight is over. Today, The Heritage Foundation is answering the bell for Round Two...Help us educate our lawmakers, as well as those who aspire to become tomorrow’s lawmakers. Together we can make the persuasive case for repeal of this Intolerable Act and thereby return us to our American destiny."

Mr. Feulner ends his letter with this salutation:

Onward!

My friends.  Do not give in.  Do not be complacent.  We must press onward!!  The fight begins again.

Source:
The Heritage Foundation - Edward Feulner Letter 03.22.2010

Hand ----> Head (deep sigh)

"I am convinced that when you go out there and you are standing tall and you are saying I believe that this is the right thing to do for my constituents and the right thing to do for America, that ultimately the truth will win out."

 - Pres. Obama (to House Democratic Caucus)

No one is listening.  Congress still doesn't get it. In his speech today the President repeated that the vote tomorrow was for the American people.

"Don't do it for me.  Don't do it for the Democratic Party.  

Do it for the American people."

But I find a clear distinction between "for" and "to".  

If it was "for" the American people, the American people would support and back the effort.  

Instead, the vote is "to" the American people. If approved, the legislation will control our health care.
This legislation will change our lives.  

Here are the most recent polling numbers in case he's been aloof to the public outcry:

REAL CLEAR POLITICS POLL

Job Approval	Approve	Disapprove	Spread
Obama	47.2%	47.8%	-0.6%
Congress	19.0%	75.8%	-56.8%
Direction of Country	Right Direction	Wrong Track	Spread
RCP Average	33.8%	60.5%	-26.7%

(Fox News 03.20.2010)

Only 19% of Americans approve of Congress at the moment.  Don't tell me the vote is "for" the American people, when the American people don't want part.   

"If the health care bill was the greatest thing since sliced bread, Democrats would be proud to support it and would be lining up to vote for it instead of lining up to be paid off to support it." 

(Bradley Blakeman)

It's obvious members of the House have been hesitant on the vote. 

Their hesitant because it's the wrong bill, wrong time.

Interesting Note:  Apparently Obama was feeling confident in the vote tomorrow and had time to focus on the NCAA tournament games this afternoon.  There is some speculation his late arrival to the meeting with the Democratic leaders of House was due to the nail-biting upset of St. Mary's over Villanova.  Mr. Robert Gibbs (bleh) was tweeting about the game at the time...read here.

Source:
Obama Transcript
Blakeman Opinion at Fox

Don't Feel Defeated...It's Not Over!

"They are trying to win this with a sense of inevitability."

 - Michael Medved

You've seen the headlines today.  I felt a little defeated this morning when I saw on FOX the House was only one vote away.  Boo hoo.

But I got worked. It's simply not true.

Congress wants you to THINK  it's over. They want the public to accept defeat before the war is really over.

Obama wouldn't have submitted himself to FOX for an interview if he didn't have the votes.
Pelosi wouldn't keep dodging questions on actual votes if she had them.
Obama wouldn't have canceled his already delayed trip on Sunday if he had the votes.

They are scrambling.  They want the public to feel defeated.

But don't go quietly!!!

Here are the numbers again:
1.877.762.8762
202.224.3121
202.225.3121

I called this morning and hit redial probably 30 times before I got through. Take ten minutes.  It matters!!

Thoughts on Baier & Obama Interview

"I don't spend a lot of time worrying about what the procedural rules are in the House or the Senate."

 - President Obama

Well, of course he doesn't!  Obama is "the ends justify the means" kind of guy. And it's been glaringly obvious as he forces health care through this week.

Personally, I enjoyed the Brett Baier interview. Baier posed the questions I personally want answers to and I loved seeing Obama squirm.  

I mentioned yesterday how the entire legislative process feels "dark" and dishonest. Obama's answers regarding the deem-and-pass (Slaughter) rule did nothing to change my opinion. Besides the fact the bill stinks, I utterly despise what the process has turned into. In Baier's analysis of the interview, A.B. Stoddard (Associate Editor, The Hill), said "We're now debating instead of the substance of the bill, the process. And he [Obama] knows it looks terrible." 

Obama continues to talk about his 40,000 emails and the small businesses he's promising to fix, and a sob story from Sue so-and-so from somewhere. He neglects to talk facts and it's maddening!

**I could never be an interviewer...I would get so angry!**

So, yes, it totally bugs me Obama's dodging process questions, but even worse, he couldn't talk specifics about the substance of HIS bill. Steve Hayes (Senior Writer, The Weekly Standard) said, "It's astonishing to me that the president of the United States here three days before this bill could potentially become law couldn't tell you directly what was in it and what was not in it.  I thought that was rather striking."

The Reconciliation bill was released today so we can see for ourselves what's in it. If you want a good summary, go here...The Heritage Foundation. The CBO has scored the bill, which tells us how much it will cost, but they confess the numbers are preliminary. This is from the cover letter of the bill:

"Although CBO completed a preliminary review of legislative language prior to its release, the agency has not thoroughly examined the reconciliation proposals to verify its consistency with the previous draft. This estimate is therefore preliminary, pending a review of the language of the reconciliation proposal, as well as further review and refinement of budgetary projections."

Basically, it's anybody's guess...and I'm guessing it's ridiculously understated.  

Source:
Baier's Follow-up Analysis
Baier/Obama Interview Transcript
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_031810/content/01125106.guest.html

Can You Feel the Heat?

It's getting down to the wire (have I said that before?) and I'm just trying to figure out what the HECK is happening on Capital Hill.

Here are a couple REALLY great things to think about:

1.  Great article at The Heritage Foundation today.  It makes some great points about the congressional process being used to pass this bill:

• The Senate bill is so unpopular with the House they are now resorting to the "Slaughter Rule which would deem the Senate bill passed at the same time the House would approve a new reconciliation bill."  So, they will pass it without an ACTUAL vote.  Most claim this as unconstitutional.  
• Pelosi is promising reconciliation, but "there is one increasingly glaring problem with Pelosi's pass-the-bill-without-voting plan: it is proving impossible to draft that reconciliation bill."  It's been promised every day since last Wednesday and it's still yet to be seen.  Numbers could still be pending from the CBO, but the text hasn't even been released.
• And while all of that muddy-unconstitutional mess is afoot, most people are wising up and realizing "the reconciliation bill is never going to become law.  The Senate will never pass it.  They have no reason to.  The Senate likes the existing Senate bill.  That's why it's called 'the Senate bill'...they are the ones who passed it...As soon as the House passes it, President Obama will sign it and then leave for Asia.  That's it. Obamacare will be, 'the law of the land' (Gibbs)."

Can anyone say, stressful!  It's unconstitutional. It's unethical. It's tricky, snaky and "dark".  That's the only way I can describe it.  It's desperate and dark and the public knows it.

2.  Public Opinion is Downright Nasty:

On Monday, I sat on a teleconference with Congressman Dave Reichert. He took questions from local residents for one hour and every single solitary caller shared outright frustration over Congress' total rejection of public opinion.  Reichert encouraged people to keep the phones busy. 

3.  Rush Limbaugh is saying the same thing:

He's listed the Congressional House phone numbers on his site.  I've listed them here for you:

1.877.762.8762, or 

202.224.3121, or

202.225.3121

And if you get a busy signal keep trying!

When you get through you need to request to speak with a specific representative. If you don't know WHO to ask for, check out this website: CODE RED, which lists the still undecided members of the House.  I would suggest one of those...

I'm trying to call Rep Brian Baird, from the southwest Washington area.  He's the only WA rep still undecided. But Reichert mentioned you don't have to stay within state lines.  Put the pressure on them all.  

Keep up the fight, people.  

And, if you're interested, Obama was out "defending" his plan in an exclusive FOX interview today. I'll have more on that tomorrow, but you can read the transcript here.  There was a lot of dodging going on...

Source:

There's No Bill But the Senate Bill

3000%!!...Insanity

"Your employer...would see premiums fall by as much as 3,000 percent, which means they could give you a raise."

 - President Obama

This is bad math...VERY bad math.  

Consider the equation as our president suggests:

Let's say your employer is paying $10,000 per year for your health care benefit.

If it goes down 100%, that would make it $0.00

If it goes down an additional 2900%, that means your employer would RECEIVE $290,000!

***

Here's the math in case you're interested: after losing the first 100%, which is the ENTIRE $10k premium, the remaining 2900% multiplied by the premium amount (10k) is 290,000

Again, 2900% x 10,000 = 290,000

Can anybody believe this!?  Do you know the audience actually clapped?!

If the Dems don't get this push for health care do you think Obama will resort to saying your premiums will go down by a "million ca-zillion percent"? 

Or maybe he'll start using his hands to illustrate the benefits of Obamacare, saying premiums will go down (stretching his arms as far as they can go) THIS much .  

I'm home with little kids all day, so that falls more in line with my every day lingo.

Mr. President, I don't believe anything you say this much {...........................................} 

(And I have long arms)

Source: Rush Limbaugh 03.16.10

Government Lingo Excludes "Efficiency"

Anybody who disagrees our government is inefficient and has difficulties conforming to a budget, here is a prime example:

"Census Bureau over budget as heavy counting gets under way."  

 - Fox News

Do you remember seeing the Census commercials during the Super Bowl? Or what about the advanced letter reminding us the Census was on its way? The Census website touts both of these actions as "cost-savings in the long run," but that's hardly believable now. The Census is now over budget before the real meat of the program even begins.  

Fox reports: "Auditors also found the Census Bureau provided training to some 15,000 workers who either worked not at all or less than a single day -- at a total cost of $5.5 million."

Are you kidding? They can't even manage the training or the staffing plan.

Just think of this in reference to health care.  

Mark my words, it will be mismanaged from the get-go.  

Starting with the revenues. The taxes to support health care begin immediately. How much do you trust the money will be left alone for its intended purpose? Social Security is in a hole, Medicare is in a hole, just wait for it...Obamacare will follow suit.  

Anybody who thinks the President is correct on his Obamacare price tag should raise the projected expense a few 100 billion dollars. Thinking a government program can be managed efficiently is an oxymoron.

The only thing better than modeling a government program after a private sector one is to just back off and let the private company continue to manage it.  

Consider if the Census were opened up for bidding and contracted out to a private company...

Cheaper?  YES.  More efficient?  Undoubtedly.  

Source:
FOX: Census Bureau Over Budget
2010.Census.gov FAQ

Encourage Motivation NOT Entitlement

"Losing her health care ended up causing her her life."

 - Marcelas Owens (11-yrs old)

Once again, rather than talk facts and empirical data, Democrats instead play on people's emotions and portray the opponents of government-run health care as horrible, despicable people.    

This is the basic story: Marcelas Owens (now 11 yrs old) was the son of a single mother who lost her job and her insurance and later died of a fatal form of high blood pressure.

Read carefully: Yes, this is tragic and sad.  Children growing up without a mother and father is a very sad thing.  

But these are the parts of the story that are causing me to twitch:

 - Owens mother, Tifanny, was a single mother. Where was the father? When a woman makes a choice bringing about not-so-easy natural consequences (i.e., conceiving three children out of wedlock without a supportive father) does it mean the American taxpayer should fill this void? Should we be responsible? What about Medicaid? She was unemployed with three children and they say she didn't qualify...it doesn't smell right.  If she can't get Medicaid then who can?

 - The woman was TREATED at two local hospitals.  On her final visit she was hospitalized for 8 days!  I'm still trying to figure out how insurance would have helped this woman.  She had a fatal form of high blood pressure, which is very difficult to treat and most patients die within a few years. Her death could not have been avoided even WITH insurance.

 - The politicians along with Owens himself kept saying, "70 uninsured people die each day."  A caller on the Rush Limbaugh program said, "what about the other people that die each day WITH insurance?"  Who can we blame for that? Are the evil insurance companies responsible for the deaths of the uninsured AND the insured?  

 - And if 70 people dying a day is your data point, then why the long waiting period for health care reform to begin?  They are promising a short-term fix that doesn't begin for FOUR years!  Implementation is scheduled for 2013-2014, so how does passing Health Care reform next week help this little boy in the near term?  

 - Most importantly, I feel terrible about how this cute little boy (did you see his chipmunk cheeks?!) is being exploited for the democrats' progressive agenda. Sen. Murray should be ashamed...they have brainwashed Owens into thinking his country is out to get him, and Pres. Obama could have literally saved his mother. But while our Congress goes out for cocktail drinks and fancy galas, do you think they'll check up on Marcelas Owens?  NO!    

This boy needs stability.  This boy needs to settle in with his Grandma and learn to accept life's challenges.  He's only 11.  Life is going to be hard.  It's hard for everyone, but why should we feed a hatred for his country? He's going to grow up his entire life with a sense of entitlement and wait around for his government to make it right.  THIS IS A PROBLEM!!  

Enabling a child to grow up feeling cheated is reprehensible.  Why doesn't someone actually HELP this boy?  He has his whole life ahead of him, and he needs:

• A counselor. For the last two years he's been angry about his mother's death.  He should probably have some grief counseling instead.
• A mentor.  A "Big Brother"?  He needs an example and a motivator.
• Involvement.  What about school programs and sports?  
• Encouragement and love. He needs to learn to work hard and earn his way through life.

We are all born into circumstances beyond our control.  But EVERYONE has the power and capacity to improve their station.  So rather than trapse this boy all over Congress telling him mean men/women are out to get him, they should be encouraging him to work heard and create a better life than the one he grew up in.

That's American. That's Hope. That's change I can get on board with.      

Sources:
Seattle Times Story
King5 News
Rush's Commentary...good!

Imploding?

"Most voters believe the current plan will harm the economy, cost more than projected, raise the cost of care, and lead to higher middle-class taxes.  That's a tough sell when the economy is hurting and people want reform to lower the cost of care.  It's also a tough sell for a president who won an election by promising tax cuts for 95% of all Americans."

 - Scott Rasmussen and Doug Schoen (WSJ)

It's coming down to the wire.  We keep talking about the "end game" but the supposed deadline (as imposed by Robert Gibbs...pah) is only a week away.  People are scurrying like mad. Consider these recent events:

People are literally going nuts --- hello, Massa?!

Pelosi is telling us she must pass the bill in order for us to find out what's in it---umm...what?

And we have Obama's Chief of Staff targeting members of Congress in the locker room wearing, well, nothing actually...he's naked (ewwwww...sorry for the visual picture).

What is going on people!?  You can't make this stuff up.

Even SNL and David Letterman are working their sketches around this chaos.

Can anyone say "FINALLY!"

It's like the end of National Lampoon's "Christmas Vacation" when Clark (Chevy Chase) gets his supposed bonus, which is actually enrollment in the "Jelly of the Month" club, and he's already promised his family a swimming pool...whoops.  His subsequent tirade (which my parents always had to edit when I was a kid) and childlike tantrum with a chain saw is classic.

I think Obama, Pelosi, and Reid are getting their "bonus" this week...and don't be fooled...it was a gift from us - the American people.  We KNOW what will happen if this bill passes and we don't want it.  Enjoy the jelly instead.

SOURCES:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704784904575111993559174212.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_031010/content/01125106.guest.html

Clarification From a Real Professor

President Obama on insurance companies: 

"they freely ration health care...on who can pay and who can't."

GMU Professor Don Boudreaux corrects: 

"Not exactly; coverage is rationed according to who PAYS and who doesn't.  Many folks - especially young adults - have the ability to pay but choose not to do so."

The meat of the argument is in the choice.  It's not about CAN/CAN'T, it's about CHOICE. I'm thankful we have a real professor here to correct our President.   

I referred to this last week regarding our own personal cash outlays for our health coverage (click here for post), but let me be a little more clear...

We are able to pay out the nose for our health care BECAUSE we make sacrifices in other areas of our budget.  

• Would I like to live in a nicer house? YES!  Someday my children will have a yard.  
• Do I wish we were saving more for my children's college education? Yes!
• Would I like to travel more? Yes!
• Would I like to have knee-high riding boots like Mary Carillo? Yes!!  (see this post) 
• Would I like to not stress every time I do my budget? Yes. I despise the stress.

Of course, there are poverty-stricken individuals in our nation truly unable to afford health care, and you know what??  They still get it!  It's called Medicaid.  It's an income threshold qualifying benefit.  If you're truly poor, you get health coverage.

Professor Boudreaux continues with Obama's determination to fix this rationing of a product to those who pay and those who don't.  Boudreaux's example is AWESOME.  He says:

"Not only insurers, but all producers who greedily refuse to supply persons who don't pay should be set aright...

"For example, the typical worker rations his labor services according to who pays and who doesn't.  That must stop.  Oh, and supermarkets!  Every single one rations groceries according to who pays.  Likewise with restaurants, clothing stores, home-builders....Indeed, my own county government has been corrupted by this greedy attitude: if I don't pay my taxes, the sheriff takes my house...Preposterous!"

You all know plenty of people who are cash-strapped, but do well enough to have cell phones and plasma TVs, the latter of which I am still denying my husband.  It's about choices and to each his own.

A friend of mine recently saw a man panhandling for money on the streets of Seattle.  She felt sorry for him until his iPhone rang and he had the gall to answer it. I wonder if he'd be upset if AT&T started "rationing" his cell coverage should he not pay his bill. "Preposterous!"

Source:

John Stossel commentary
GMU Professor Don Beaudroux

You Can't Argue With Liberals

"I am committed to continuing to fight for the revenue necessary to get folks back to work..."

WA State Rep, Geoff Simpson

[Reese translation: revenue = TAXES!]

"When you argue with [liberals], you are not arguing facts or statistics, you are arguing against a religion...Leftists' idealogy is not based in reality.  It is based in a belief....There is no rational thought or intellectual honesty or rigor involved.  It is simply something for the masses to opiate themselves on and feel good about."

 - Captain Capitalism (Why You Can't Argue with a Liberal)

I just don't get it.

Liberals are killing me...and my budget. 

I made a phone call last week to our Washington State Legislative office and in return received a nice letter from my representative, Geoff Simpson, where he outlined his position on taxes. His above quote is an oxymoron, and my eyes-rolled while reading the letter. 

Oh brother.

Please tell me....how does taxing the citizens of this state MORE help them get back to work?

I feel like a broken record. The folks in charge just don't get it.

Businesses will not hire until economic uncertainty dies down...they are waiting to see what their tax bill will become. Health care is killing it...so is Cap and Trade...and so is the "Jobs Bill", which is continuing to just throw money at the problem.  

But Captain Capitalism has it right...you can't argue with a liberal.  They are so rooted in their ideals it's religious-like and they continue to argue against empirical facts and evidence.  

**heavy sigh**

But, anyway, the battle for passage of ObamaCare is going to be in the House.  So,  

HERE IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO....

Go to this website...find your Representative in the House and 

write them, 

email them, 

call them.  

My representative, Dave Reichert, also had a health care survey on his website. I'm really interested in the results, but he doesn't share.  Whoever your representative is, it's time to lay on the pressure.  Reichert will most likely vote against the health care bill, but it doesn't hurt to make your opinion known.

IT TAKES 5 MINUTES.  

And while uncertainty swarms the nation, my home state also faces some troubled times ahead.  Our State Congress is looking to impose MAJOR new taxes:

• Imposing a progressive income tax (yikes!...we currently don't have a STATE income tax)
• Increasing the sales tax 
• Imposing special taxes for: candy, bottled water, gum, soda, and cigarettes.  If you know me personally, you know my budget will be in a tight spot if this passes (minus the cigarettes...ick...but I can't live without a certain diet beverage and certain "nannies", aka candy).  

And so, my fellow Washingtonians, write your state congressional members as well.  

Here goes another week.  My stock of a certain diet beverage is dwindling fast as I deal with this chaos.


**Note: for people living in close proximity to me, the representative-finding website listed my representative incorrectly as Adam Smith...it's really Dave Reichert.  I am right along the border, so check your representatives map, just to be sure!

Sources:
Dave Reichert Website
Captain Capitalism 05.01.09
http://fns.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/03/07/house-dems-still-undecided-on-health-care/